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US Department of Magical Affairs
(cooperative agency for supernatural investigations) * (cooperative agency for supernatural law enforcement and investigations)|primary_base_of_operations = |locations = Facilities throughout the United States and territories *Wolfwatter Building, Union Falls|status = Active|image1 = Usdomapng.png|purpose = Regulate, investigate, and enforce the laws regarding the use of magic within the United States *Magical species regulation *Magical substances regulations *Magical catastrophe cleanup and response *Ejecting Ectoplasmic Apparitions|First_appearance = Story: The Golden Gate Years (mentioned)|primary_base_of_operationss = Roosevelt Tower, Washington D.C.}}The United States Department of Magical Affairs, or''' USDOMA,' is a governmental division of the United States of America with the purpose of understanding, researching, troubleshooting and assisting citizens with supernatural phenomena as well as regulating the exotic element Red Matter (Rm) and the sale, distribution, and use of magical items, as well as enforcing laws on magical items. Wands, scepters and staffs must be registered and licensed with the USDOMA. Alchemic products and magical elixirs are similarly regulated and the department monitors the sale of materials used to create them. USDOMA also assists citizens in purging unwanted ectoplasmic entities. The US Department of Magical Affairs has the highest percentage of wizards employed than in any other government department, with the United Liberators Coalition coming in a close second. History The Department of Magical Affairs was founded at the turn of the century after the Industrial revolution and the surge of the wizard and witch populations in the United States. The Industrial Revolution had enabled mass production and infrastructure that had enabled Areum to become readily available and easier to obtain, resulting in a dramatic increase in the population of individuals that practiced magic, turning wizardry into a common practice that needed to become both regulated and understood. This rapid growth of magic ushered in a new era known as the Resurgence of Wizardkind. The American Wizards High Council was the somewhat secretive magical government that was charged with policing and governing magical communities in the United States prior to the Resurgence. With the Resurgence, it was soon decided that as a loose confederation of wizards it was not equipped to, nor did it have the authority to regulate magic, something that only the US Federal government was capable of doing. It disbanded shortly afterwards in 1899 after being ordered to by the United States federal government, which had passed a law that the United States was the only entity allowed to govern magic in American territory. In 1901, USDOMA was created in response in order to understand wizardkind as well as attempt to regulate and establish laws controlling magic within the United States. This move was quite controversial for both wizard and non-magical Americans, but ultimately was regarded as necessary to address a world that was now fully unmasked and would not remain separate from society at large. One of the USDOMA's first major offices was in Union Falls, a rapidly growing magical settlement in the Rockies that was quickly becoming a haven for wizardkind to practice magic. During this time, the USDOMA also developed the supernatural classification system to identify the abilities of and to differentiate different beings from each other. This system was adopted in the United States and many other countries shortly after. and how to understand them. |left]] Recognition of the authority of the US Department of Magical Affairs took time for many wizards and witches, who did not initially trust the intrusiveness of an organization so heavily populated and administrated by non-magicals, but eventually with wizards themselves joining the USDOMA and contributing, as well as the dissolution and collapse of previous wizarding societies and groups and the AWHC, it was eventually accepted as the law of the land in matters of magical concerns within the United States. Many officials from the previous wizarding government even joined and took positions within USDOMA. However, few rogue wizard groups remained, refusing to recognize the authority of a non purely magical entity. The USDOMA's regulations and United States' legislation on magical issues formed the basis of and heavily influenced other countries' policies and attitudes on magic in the following century. In March 2029, the local USDOMA office in Union Falls quarantined Tanglewood Manor after a ghost infestation was reported in Roosevelt Heights, and later requested the assistance of the United Liberators Coalition in dealing with the problem, as they were occupied with an ongoing investigation into illegally smuggled Red Matter. The USDOMA undertook nuclear cleanup efforts in Oregon and Montana after the resumption of the Korean War two months later, dispatching teams of wizards to magically decontaminate areas affected by the fallout from the nuclear exchange. In late November of 2029, the USDOMA captured several intact phoenix eggs and granted Tanwyn Angharad's request to take ownership of them. Both she and Charlie Lang traveled to the Wolfwatter Building in Union Central in order to acquire them. Organization The Department of Magical Affairs is based in Washington D.C. and is headquartered at Roosevelt Tower on Roosevelt Island on the Potomac river. The government department has offices in every major city within America, attached to other government service centers such as city halls and courts. Registration and magical training centers are present in order to assist American wizards who wish to practice magic. Magical Registration All wands must be registered with USDOMA, which has offices in every major city. Wands are given a serial number that must be visible at all times, and entered into a national registry database, and the wizards they are registered with are similarly indexed as well. Though wizards are not required to register if they are found to be magical, they are required to register if they own a wand or possess magical materials, making registration effectively mandatory for all ''practicing wizards. There is a hefty fine for unregistered wands being registered, but having to pay a fine to be on the right side of the law is much preferable to being caught using magic in an unauthorized manner. The USDOMA forbids all minors from owning channeling devices or from practicing magic without the supervision of a licensed professional. Magical Law Enforcement The USDOMA was originally responsible for enforcing all laws related to magic and the supernatural in the United States. This changed after the Awakening Incident, with some of their responsibilities being given to the newly formed United Liberators Coalition, which was a controversial and somewhat unwelcome decision for many employed by USDOMA. Many of the department's personnel were also funneled into the new agency as well. In 2010, control of most supernatural law enforcement was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security, specifically to the United Liberators Coalition, which became the de-facto government agency for all supernatural emergencies, and has the power to prosecute violations of United States magical law. USDOMA however still retains an important role as a regulatory and administrative body. It controls the importation, mining, sale and distribution of the material known as Red Matter as well as setting regulations and limitations on ownership and breeding of magical creatures and plants. In prosecuting violators of the law, it cooperates with and sends data to the ULC, whose specially trained field agents are dispatched to deal with the problem. It also acts as an advisory organization to the ULC as well, offering expertise on magical affairs. Mentioned Locations * Washington D.C. ** Roosevelt Tower * Wyoming ** Union City * California ** San Francisco ** Los Angeles * New York ** New York City Category:United States Organizations Category:Magic